UJ revolutionises emergency training with cutting-edge rescue simulation centre

The University of Johannesburg (UJ) will officially unveil its state-of-the-art Rescue Simulation Centre. The four-storey, 3,000 m² facility is the first of its kind in Africa and places UJ, South Africa, and the continent at the leading edge of rescue education, simulation, and research.

Developed by UJ’s Department of Emergency Medical Care (EMC) within the Faculty of Health Sciences, the centre marks a significant advance in how rescue professionals are trained to handle the increasingly complex challenges of modern disasters.

Supported by the Department of Higher Education and Training, the facility offers realistic, high-fidelity training to address critical gaps in national preparedness, coordination, and technical skills.

Recent natural disasters and large-scale emergencies have revealed significant limitations in South Africa’s capacity to handle complex rescue operations. UJ’s Rescue Centre addresses this challenge by offering a controlled yet highly realistic training environment for emergency medical practitioners, firefighters, military personnel, police units, and disaster management professionals. It combines simulation-based learning, research, and multi-agency collaboration to foster a more resilient and better-prepared Africa.

Purpose-built for realism and safety, the Centre includes a five-metre-deep survival pool for aquatic and helicopter underwater egress training (HUET); a helicopter fuselage suspended 15 metres above the pool, enabling both “wet” and “dry” hoist operations; and rotor-wing aircraft safety and patient-care simulation zones. The basement houses an urban search and rescue area with configurable confined-space tunnels, shoring systems, and heavy-lifting jigs, along with a 30-seater aircraft fuselage for mass-casualty simulations.

A three-metre-deep trench rescuesimulator and advanced environmental systems capable of generating rain, wind, waves and darkness create an immersive, high-stress environment that replicates real-life conditions.

“This facility equips teams with the resources and practical experience they need to respond effectively, save lives, and manage risk,” says Connor Hartnady, a lecturer in the Department of Emergency Medical Care and one of South Africa’s most experienced emergency response specialists. “Natural hazards are increasing, urbanisation is evolving rapidly, and emergencies are becoming more complex. This Centre prepares responders not only for South African conditions but also for challenges across the continent." More than just a university project, the Rescue Centre stands as a national and continental asset.

It brings together academia, government, and industry through a common platform for education and innovation, enhancing national resilience and increasing Africa’s capacity for professional rescue.

This Content is sponsored by The University of Johannesburg